I love flannels. I live in a logging town, so maybe it’s just part of my culture. Maybe it’s because the Brawny man is a real man! For whatever reason, I love flannels, and flannels have grown massively in popularity lately—likely cause of hipsters and Garand Thumb.

Viktos has taken notice and now produced the Gunfighter Flannel. They were kind enough to send me one, and I’ve gotten in some miles and rounds downrange wearing it.

The Gunfighter Flannel

What pushes a normal flannel into a Gunfighter Flannel? Well, the first step is optimizing the flannel for all the things you might run into in a gunfight. Mobility is one of the many keys to winning a fight. First, they placed a flex panel behind the shoulders and on the back of the jacket. This allows you to square real nice in a shooting stance with complete comfort. Nothing in this tactical flannel holds you back when you run a long gun or handgun.

Oh hey there, it’s me and my Gunfighter Flannel.

The Gunfighter Flannel also incorporates flexible elbow panels more for mobility. Below that, we have what Viktos calls brush bashing forearms. It’s kind of like the elbow patches on your college professor’s tweed jacket, except for gunfighting. They are rugged and designed to take a beating through nonpermissive environments. They also provide a good padded elbow and forearm for ducking into the prone position.

The brush-busting forearm makes getting in the prone comfortable and keeps the elbows rocking and rolling.

Running a range and shooting with the Gunfighter Flannel is completely comfortable.

I’ll often order a size up for my hoodies and jackets because I often feel they restrain me. The shoulder rarely grants me the flexibility to comfortably mount a long gun or to extend with a handgun. This isn’t an issue here. I can stretch out, get comfy, and let the lead fly from my Benelli M4.

Plate carrier comfort and compatibility make the Gunfighter Flannel a worthy contender.

I feel as free as a bird when wearing the Gunfighter Flannel.

Working reloads, drawing your pistol, and other tasks are all as easy as wearing a t-shirt with the Gunfighter Flannel. Working around barriers and in uncomfortable positions is also easy and comfortable with the Gunfighter Flannel. It doesn’t help you—it just never holds you back.

Going Pew with the Gunfighter Flannel

The Gunfighter Flannel is optimized to be worn with a plate carrier and shooting gloves. You get two chest pockets with side zips that are accessible with a plate carrier on. The rugged design also keeps the plate carrier from rubbing through your Gunfighter Flannel.

Speaking of pockets—there is a f*(& ton.

We got two on the chest, two inside the jacket, a forearm stash pocket, and two at the bottom to keep your hands warm or to stash a revolver. I keep finding more pockets on my Gunfighter Flannel, so I’ll update this if one has snuck past me somehow. The forearm stash pocket is perfect for carrying cash low-profile-like and the side of the jacket can open for sidearm and gear access.

The sides open for access to important gear. Like your handgun, radio, and skittle pouch.

You can wear the Gunfighter Flannel with a Battle Belt and have easy access to your gear and reloads. It’s a convenient feature I’ve demanded on my last three jackets.

For concealed carry purposes, the Gunfighter Flannel is plenty long to conceal a pistol.

Even a rather large Glock 19ish sized firearm carried OWB would hide under this concealed carry flannel. You can go Miami Vice style with a shoulder holster should you so choose. The snap buttons make it quick and easy to open to access your pistol on the fly.

Look at them flex panels and how they allow me to square up.

Beyond Fightin’ Words

The Viktos Flannel isn’t just a great option for shooting, moving, and communicatin’—it’s a rock-solid flannel in the comfort and warmth departments. This is a heavy-duty flannel. It’s thick and warm. The inside is lined and extremely soft. The outside is thick and scratchy like a good flannel should be. The collar is nice and high, providing warmth where it’s needed. You lose a lotta heat out of the neck.

Stylish, comfortable, and compatible with all the tactical doodads.

The Gunfighter Flannel works as promised. It allows you to shoot, move, and engage with maximum mobility and is compatible with the most common tactical gear. It’s also a jacket that keeps you warm, is comfortable, and looks slick.